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1 – 10 of 30Yu-Shan Hsu, Yu-Ping Chen and Margaret A. Shaffer
We examined who is more likely to use flexible work arrangements (FWAs) to alleviate work-family conflict (WFC) and under what conditions the use of FWAs actually reduces WFC.
Abstract
Purpose
We examined who is more likely to use flexible work arrangements (FWAs) to alleviate work-family conflict (WFC) and under what conditions the use of FWAs actually reduces WFC.
Design/methodology/approach
We tested the model using survey data collected at two time points from 217 employees.
Findings
Proactive employees are more likely to use flextime to alleviate WFC (b = −0.03; 95% biased-corrected CI: [−0.12, −0.01]) and this mediation relationship is not moderated by their level of low work-to-nonwork boundary permeability. In addition, only when proactive employees have a low work-to-nonwork boundary permeability does their use of flexplace alleviate WFC (b = −0.07, 95% bias-corrected CI: [−0.1613, −0.0093]).
Originality/value
We expand our understanding of who is more likely to utilize FWAs by identifying that employees with proactive personality are more likely to use flextime and flexplace. We also advance our understanding regarding the conditions whereby FWA use helps employees reduce WFC by identifying the moderating role of work-to-nonwork boundary permeability on the relationships between both flextime and flexplace use on WFC.
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Harini K.N. and Manoj T. Thomas
Over the years, the impact of the business cycle on firm strategy has been neglected in the area of strategic management and remains one of the most important but least developed…
Abstract
Purpose
Over the years, the impact of the business cycle on firm strategy has been neglected in the area of strategic management and remains one of the most important but least developed research streams in management scholarship. Studies in this area are scattered across time and domains, therefore, there is a need to consolidate this fragmented literature to provide a comprehensive review and thus avenues for further research. This study aims to address this gap.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, the systematic literature review (SLR) method is used to select and examine research articles in the area of firm responses and decisions during recession. This SLR examines 127 studies and carries out a thematic synthesis of the literature.
Findings
Based on the SLR and thematic synthesis of the literature, the themes identified in this study include – severity of recession impact (Theme 1); firm specific characteristics (Theme 2); resource adjustment activities (Theme 3); and firm performance (Theme 4), based on these themes and analysis this paper maps and proposes various relationships and linkages in this research domain that can be explored further for the development of scholarship in this field of study.
Originality/value
This paper fulfills the need for a systematic review of the extant literature on firms’ responses during recession. The study synthesizes literature and carries out a thematic analysis from 1980 till the period February 2024 to provide directions to advance this domain of literature.
Katia Osso and Michael Halinski
While work-life policies (WLPs) are tools that employees may draw on to better manage and balance their work and life demands, there is growing evidence that suggests the usage of…
Abstract
Purpose
While work-life policies (WLPs) are tools that employees may draw on to better manage and balance their work and life demands, there is growing evidence that suggests the usage of WLPs may negatively impact other employees. Drawing from the theory of role dynamics and social role theory, we examine the indirect effect of co-workers taking childcare leave (CTCL) on work anxiety via work-role overload, as well as the impact of gender on this indirect relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
We used Prolific Academic to recruit 236 employees to participate in a three-wave study. These data were analyzed as a hypothesized structural equation modelling (SEM) using SPSS AMOS.
Findings
Findings reveal: (1) CTCL positively relates to work anxiety via work-role overload, and (2) gender moderates this indirect effect such that this positive relationship is stronger for men than women.
Practical implications
Work-life policy makers should take note of the “hidden costs” associated with work-life policy usage on other employees. Managers should work with policy users to mitigate the negative effects of policy usage on others.
Originality/value
In contrast to broader WLP research, which focuses on the benefits of policy usage on the policy user, this research shows the negative implications of work-life policies on others’ work anxiety via work-role overload. In doing so, it becomes the first study to showcase a crossover effect of CTCL on employees’ work anxiety.
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Cesario Armando Flores Villanueva, María del Carmen Gaytán Ramírez and Aleida Núñez García
This article examines the influence of market opportunity, risk, and distance on the choice of destination country for Mexican franchises.
Abstract
Purpose
This article examines the influence of market opportunity, risk, and distance on the choice of destination country for Mexican franchises.
Design/methodology/approach
The research hypotheses are developed under the theoretical approaches of institutional theory, agency theory, and transaction costs theory and were contrasted on the data obtained from 52 Mexican international franchisors operating in 37 countries as of 2016. This study uses linear regression with ordinary minimums using the STATA 13.1 software.
Findings
The results reveal that a larger market size, a greater level of economic freedom, and a smaller geographic distance are determining factors in the choice of destination country. No statistical significance was found in the variables GDP per capita, level of democracy and cultural distance.
Originality/value
This research contributes to the theoretical and practical field. On the theoretical side, this study integrates institutional theory, agency theory, and transaction cost theory to evaluate the factors of the destination country that influence the internationalization process of the franchise. Another contribution of this study is to apply theories and models of developed economies to the process of internationalization of franchises in an emerging economy. Additionally, this study is based on a model that considers the distance, opportunities and risks that are considered by Mexican franchisors in the selection of the international markets in which they maintain operations. This study contains important practical implications that can serve as relevant information for decision-making in the franchise sector and its internationalization. This data is valuable for new models of Mexican franchises that decide to start their internationalization process.
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Callum McDonald, Allen Edward Foster and Pauline Rafferty
Genre is a valuable access point for popular music collections; however, the blurring of genre boundaries combined with changing listening habits and new forms of classification…
Abstract
Purpose
Genre is a valuable access point for popular music collections; however, the blurring of genre boundaries combined with changing listening habits and new forms of classification have brought genre’s importance into question. The playlist is now a common means of classification on music streaming platforms. Recent commentary suggests that context is now a preferred access point. This exploratory study offers an examination of genres’ role in playlists.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed-methods study investigates, using Spotify, whether genre retains relevance amidst the rise in popularity of playlist-based music classification. Sample size is noted as a limitation of the study.
Findings
Qualitative coding of user and editorial playlist names revealed less than 20% of codes applied were genre-based. However, when non-genre themes were differentiated, genre themes ranked as one of the most prevalent. Context-based themes were most common, though genre was readily combined with other descriptive themes, highlighting its utility. Quantitative analysis of genre tags showed playlists with context-based themes demonstrated higher genre homogeneity than those using generic themes, indicating playlists were named on a genre-by-proxy basis.
Originality/value
The study suggests that genre continues to play an integral role in a field where an eclectic variety of descriptive themes has emerged, although its role may have changed. Context-based themes are central to the way users organise music, though such terms can often serve as containers for music collections sharing distinct generic and musicological similarities.
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Asma Basit, Hina Samdani and Nida Kamal
The purpose of this study is to contribute to the research of knowledge management in higher education institutions (HEIs) by studying the enablers of knowledge entrepreneurship…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to contribute to the research of knowledge management in higher education institutions (HEIs) by studying the enablers of knowledge entrepreneurship. Anchored in the dynamic capability theory, knowledge entrepreneurship is heterogeneously distributed in HEIs and is critical for the sustenance of organizations in the knowledge economy. This aim is realized by understanding the determinants of knowledge entrepreneurship and empirically investigating the relationship of knowledge-sharing behaviour and entrepreneurial leadership with knowledge entrepreneurship.
Design/methodology/approach
Data was collected through structured questionnaires from 550 faculty members of HEIs in Pakistan by adequately representing the sample size through regional stratification and proportionate sampling. Data was analyzed through the Analysis of Moment Structures software where the data validation and reliability were achieved using correlations, confirmatory factor analysis and structured equation modelling to generate generalizable results.
Findings
The findings revealed that knowledge sharing is an important component in developing knowledge entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurial leadership is pivotal in providing the support, vision and autonomy to individuals with personal and professional capabilities to ensure the creation of new knowledge, collaboration and innovation.
Research limitations/implications
The study contributes to an understanding of relationship of knowledge sharing and entrepreneurial leadership that leads to promotion of knowledge entrepreneurship in HEIs of Pakistan. In addition, the findings of the study extend the existing literature on knowledge entrepreneurship by offering the positive mediating role of entrepreneurial leadership in the universities of Pakistan, hence, addressing the specific challenges and opportunities faced by the HEIs of a developing country like Pakistan. The theoretical framework of the study elucidates the importance of knowledge sharing and entrepreneurial leadership by using the dynamic capabilities theory and extends the scope of the aforementioned theory in entrepreneurial leadership realm.
Practical implications
By generating an understanding of the dynamics of knowledge entrepreneurship this study tries to help policymakers and educational leaders to develop strategies to cultivate a culture of knowledge sharing and entrepreneurial leadership in Pakistani HEIs. Building the entrepreneurial ecosystem entails prioritizing knowledge creation, knowledge sharing and retention that can lead to innovative solutions for local and global challenges.
Originality/value
The study used dynamic capabilities theory to link the knowledge and resources together for the education sector for sustainable outcomes in the knowledge economy. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to empirically study the behaviour of HEIs to create and support knowledge entrepreneurship in the presence of entrepreneurial leadership in the context of a developing country, Pakistan. Becoming a knowledge-based society will help Pakistan upgrade itself to the list of developed countries.
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Engaged employees assure organizational competitiveness and sustainability. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between job resources and employee turnover…
Abstract
Purpose
Engaged employees assure organizational competitiveness and sustainability. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between job resources and employee turnover intentions, with employee engagement as a mediating variable.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 934 employees of eight wholly-owned pharmaceutical industries. The proposed model and hypotheses were evaluated using structural equation modeling. Construct reliability and validity was established through confirmatory factor analysis.
Findings
Data supported the hypothesized relationship. The results show that job autonomy and employee engagement were significantly associated. Supervisory support and employee engagement were significantly associated. However, performance feedback and employee engagement were nonsignificantly associated. Employee engagement had a significant influence on employee turnover intentions. The results further show that employee engagement mediates the association between job resources and employee turnover intentions.
Research limitations/implications
The generalizability of the findings will be constrained due to the research’s pharmaceutical industry focus and cross-sectional data.
Practical implications
The study’s findings will serve as valuable pointers for stakeholders and decision-makers in the pharmacuetical industry to develop a proactive and well-articulated employee engagement intervention to ensure organizational effectiveness, innovativeness and competitiveness.
Originality/value
By empirically demonstrating that employee engagement mediates the nexus of job resources and employee turnover intentions, the study adds to the corpus of literature.
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Mathew Baker and Michael Lee Joseph
Examine how social studies preservice teachers conceptualize and enact critical historical inquiry.
Abstract
Purpose
Examine how social studies preservice teachers conceptualize and enact critical historical inquiry.
Design/methodology/approach
Critical qualitative case study.
Findings
Differing conceptual understandings and had trouble infusing their practice with the critical theory learned in the university.
Originality/value
Examine how a core practice is bolstering the practice-theory connection in teacher education.
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Rabe Yahaya, Thomas Daum, Ephrem Tadesse, Walter Mupangwa, Albert Barro, Dorcas Matangi, Michael Misiko, Frédéric Baudron, Bisrat Getnet Awoke, Sylvanus Odjo, Daouda Sanogo, Rahel Assefa and Abrham Kassa
African agricultural mechanization could lead to a mechanization divide, where only large farms have access to machines. Technological solutions such as scale-appropriate machines…
Abstract
Purpose
African agricultural mechanization could lead to a mechanization divide, where only large farms have access to machines. Technological solutions such as scale-appropriate machines and institutional solutions like service markets offer hope for more inclusive mechanization. Two-wheel tractor-based service markets combine both technological and institutional elements, but there is limited research on their economic viability and challenges.
Design/methodology/approach
We analyze the economic viability of two-wheel tractor-based service provision based on data from service providers in Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, and Zimbabwe. We also examine the institutional framework conditions for such service providers based on qualitative interviews with these service providers and stakeholders such as machinery dealers, spare parts providers, and banks.
Findings
Two-wheel tractor-based service provision is economically highly viable, largely due to multifunctionality. Post-production services such as threshing and transportation are particularly lucrative. However, the emergence and economic sustainability of service providers can be undermined by bottlenecks such as access to finance, knowledge and skills development, access to fuel and spare parts, and infrastructure problems.
Originality/value
This is the first study on the economics of two-wheel tractor-based service provider models. Past studies have focused on large four-wheel tractors, but two-wheel tractors are different in many aspects, including regarding investment costs, repair and maintenance costs, capacity, and multifunctionality.
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Emma O'Brien and Thomas M. Cooney
While supporting entrepreneurship through government intervention has become a global phenomenon, the OECD (2021) has identified that several communities (including women, youth…
Abstract
Purpose
While supporting entrepreneurship through government intervention has become a global phenomenon, the OECD (2021) has identified that several communities (including women, youth, seniors, unemployed and immigrants) remain under-represented in terms of entrepreneurial activity. Inclusive entrepreneurship policies seek to enhance economic and social inclusion and emphasise the significant contribution that people from within these communities could make to local and regional development if appropriate support was offered. The purpose of this study is to examine how higher education institutions (HEIs) can co-create inclusive entrepreneurial training initiatives with local communities that support economic and social inclusion.
Design/methodology/approach
This in-depth qualitative study draws on the experiences of multiple stakeholders to highlight how an HEI can enhance entrepreneurial activity within under-represented and disadvantaged communities through its community engagement initiatives. The research was conducted through a revelatory case study of an Irish HEI that is newly constituted and is developing an inner-city campus with a focus on community benefit. Rich qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews and participant observation of an HEI community engagement initiative with disadvantaged communities. Thematic analysis methods were used in the processes of generating codes, categories and themes leading to the findings of this study.
Findings
The study identified that broadening the interpretation of entrepreneurial activity to value creation and developing enterprising behaviour has significant relevance for disadvantaged communities. These communities may not have the capacity to start a business yet might benefit from the personal development aspects of entrepreneurial education. Moreover, findings indicate how HEIs are uniquely positioned to develop inclusive entrepreneurial education initiatives to redress social inequalities in their regions.
Originality/value
As an original contribution to knowledge, this paper extends traditional education frameworks to identify individual, collective and system-level considerations in the design and development of inclusive entrepreneurial education initiatives. This study contributes an evidence-based framework to guide HEIs and their regional partners in the future development of inclusive, tailored support through entrepreneurial education.
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